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Merry Month of May – Music Meme

Some of my earliest childhood memories are of mum singing as she went about her daily work, always with a song on her lips and a tune in her heart. So, it’s with great pleasure that I take up Pauline’s “Merry Month of May Music Meme”.

(3) First live concert you attended: Johnny O’Keefe Show… The 2nd and last teenage concert I went to was the Beatles

(4) Songs your parents sang along to: Dad: only 2 that I remember.. “The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane & Cock of the North” (opening words only… when he played it on the piano). Mum sang all the time… My favourite was “Hi Lilly Hi Lilly Hi Lo” which she sang so beautifully and with such feeling.

(5) Song(s)/Music your grandparents sang/played: Don’t remember Grandpa ever singing but he used to whistle tunelessly through his teeth. My youngest son, who never knew my Grandfather, whistles EXACTLY like him :-) ~~~ Nana died when I was very young & only remember her being ill but mum used to tell me how Nana would rock my eldest brother to sleep, singing “What will we do with a Drunken Sailor” and one time she rocked so hard the chair, Nana & the baby ended up backwards on the floor.

(6) Did your family have sing-a-longs at home or a neighbours: Mum used to buy copies of the “Boomerang Song Book” every time a new one came out and she and I would learn the words of all the new songs and sing to our hearts content. Sometimes my brothers would join in. For years, every Christmas Eve, mum & I would sit out the front and sing Christmas Carols for hours. My mum, my girlfriend and her mum (Margaret & Mrs Jordan) used to drive regularly from Adelaide to Mildura (to visit their “rellies’) and we’d sing all the way there and back. My unanswered question still is: … what did “The Sergeant Major” DO after that second kiss???… they never would tell us but would just laugh their heads off …

(7) Did you have a musical instrument at home: Mum bought a 2nd hand Pianola from a work colleague’s brother so I could learn to play and my brother who didn’t have the use of one arm could still be involved in the music making. She bought it on “Layby” and seemed to take forever for her to pay it off. My eldest brother had a guitar. My youngest played piano and was very good at “Alley Cat”. Dad taught himself the Piano Accordian, mouth organ, piano. He used to play “the spoons” & graduated to a set of “bones” (yep real bones which I still have) Dad also made an apparatus for himself which would hold the Mouth Organ so he could play the Piano Accordian and the Mouth Organ at the same time…

(8) What instruments do you play (if any): Piano very badly, Irish Whistle reasonably OK… with tunes I know but takes a long while to learn them. Bodhrán quite well and I love this best of all :-)

(9) What instruments do you wish you could play: Wish I could pay Piano & Irish Whistle properly…

(10) Do do/did you play in a band or orchestra: Used to play with “Celtic Music Club” which are a part of the “South Australian Irish Australian Association”. We’d play for a “Bush Dance” at club once a month, St Patricks Day and at various country festivals. Also used to be one of the “musos” every Friday night at the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel. It’s the companionship in the “making” of the music that’s the joy and I love the “protocols” when playing in such a group. e.g. who is permitted to initiate a tune etc…

(11) Do you/did you sing in a choir: Only at Primary School because I was forced to and used to get growled at for singing out of tune… so then I’d pretend to sing and get into trouble for that. Was a bit of a no winner…

(12) Music you fell in love to/with or were married to: “We’ll Build a World of Our Own” … also when hubby and I were first dating we went to see the movie “Dr Zhvago” and I loved “Lara’s Theme”. “My Guy” by Mary Wells – I used to go into the top room and play it REALLY loud at the time that mum was so critical of my boyfriend/ fiance who later became my husband.

(13) Romantic music memories: A boyfriend was “lead guitarist” in a cover band for “The Shadows”. My girlfriend’s boyfriend played “rhythm guitar”. We’d go to their concerts, sit at a table close to the band, carry their guitars & act very smug and superior when the other girls were “swooning”. My excuse is that I was very young and I thought that was so so romantic. ha ha ha…

(21) Favourite country or folk: So many it’s hard to pick but particularly like Johnny Cash; Ring of Fire, Walke the Line, Folsom Prison Blues. Also Peter, Paul & Mary… The Seekers

(22) Favourite movie/show musical: South Pacific, Oklahoma, West Side Story,

(23) Favourite sound tracks: As above

(24) What music do you like to dance to: Age & infirmity have curtailed my dancing but I’d dance to anything. Earliest memory of music to dance to is “Sway”. I was very tiny, dad would push back the kitchen table and he’d dance me around the highly polished lino floor with me standing on his feet. This is how I learnt to dance. Mum & Dad were beautiful dancers.

(25) What dances did you do as a teenager: Started with jive and then moved with the trends… to the Twist, the Stomp etc. My three brothers & I would gather our friends & records and we’d regularly have “record parties” at various houses on a Saturday night. I used to wear out a pair of moccasins each night and it took hours to starch & iron the petticoats… I also enjoyed “progressive dances” like “Military Two Step” and “Canadian ???” The “Duke of Erin” was another favourite but not many my age enjoyed those … and I also loved any sort of ballroom… the “old chaps” were the best to dance these with.

(26) Do you use music for caller ID on your mobile: No

(27) What songs do you use for caller ID: -

(28) What songs do your children like or listen to: Now they’re adult I can’t really say … as children “Aga Doo” was a particular favourite. Mr Clicketty Cane, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Alice the Camel . Teenagers… Redgum, Uncanny Xmen, Cold Chisel, Abba were some of their favourites. My youngest Grandson adores “Celtic Thunder” and tells me Damien is his favourite. Grandaughter is mad about “New Direction” … or is is “One Direction”??? … {chuckle}

(29) Favourite live music concerts as an adult: Lord of the Dance, Cats

(30) Silly music memories from your family: Purple People Eater, A-hab the A-Rab, The Thing, The Battle of New Orleans, Itsy Bitsy Teen Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, My Old Man’s a Dustman, Does Your Chewing Gum Lose it’s Flavour on the Bedpost Overnight… are some of the tunes. Silliest family fun thing was that we’d go to the “Drive-in Theatre” every Saturday and whilst waiting for it to get dark music would be played over the speakers. When “The Little Blue Coupe” was popular we used to take turns in beeping the car horn in time with “beep” in the lyrics. Loads of fun …

(31) Silliest song you can think of: “The Thing” – just WHAT was it he found on the beach “that bright & sunny day” and couldn’t get rid of ??? …

(32) Pet hate in music/singing: None really, except neighbours playing really loud music early hours of the morning with “base” turned up SO high it makes my walls vibrate… grrr

(33) A song that captures famiy history for you: “Bound for South Australia” and also “The Song of Australia”… then there are the songs like “Just a wee Deoch & Doras” which reflect my heritage.

(34) If you could ony play 5 albumns (assume no iPolds or mp3) for the rest of your life what would they be: Songs of the Protest Era, Treasury of Australian Music (2 records), Hard Day’s Night, Oklahoma

4 thoughts on “Merry Month of May – Music Meme”

Thanks so much for joining in Catherine. I’m so impressed by someone being in a band! And to be able to play the bodhran…in my illusions (delusions?) I think that I might be able to play. Have thought of bringing one back from Ireland. So many many songs you’re reminded me of (had forgotton High Lily Hi lo. Laughed at the Little Blue Coupe and the defiance of playing My Guy.

Oh, do follow that illusion/delusion Pauline. In 1996, I drove from Corofin, County Clare to Roundstone, Connemara for one of Malachy Kearn’s renowned Bodhran (must write a story about that :-) L-O-N-G drive!… http://www.bodhran.com … Nursed my “baby” all the way back :-) Lots of video tutorials now to help you learn.
Oh, anyone can join the Celtic Music sessions at Irish Australian Assoc here in SOz. We’re very lucky.They have 1/2 hour lesson on “Irish Whistle” before session & there is always someone who’ll give you tips on Bodhran playing. MOST important to not play too loudly or out of time! :-) Thanks for initiating the Music Meme Pauline. Such fun remembering & then reading those of others. Cheers.

I’d love to hear the story of your trip from Clare to Connemara and the Bodhran classes….shall wait with bated breath. Had intuited the need to not dominate proceedings, though really I’ll probably never play and even less likely to be with a group….look forward to hearing you one day.